Navigating the labyrinthine pathways to achieving all the distinct endings in the horror supermarket simulator, HELLMART, presents a unique challenge, primarily due to its subtly implemented, invisible karma system that tracks player actions. While the stakes of virtual bonuses are non-existent, the player’s very survival within the game world is perpetually on the line. Much like the well-established Paragon and Renegade morality systems in the Mass Effect franchise, player choices in HELLMART significantly shape their character’s journey and ultimately determine their fate based on their performance. Fortunately, HELLMART offers a more streamlined experience with a comparative handful of endings, a stark contrast to the expansive narrative branches found in similar work simulation titles like Zoochosis. This guide aims to provide a comprehensive walkthrough for obtaining all three unique endings within the unsettling confines of the HELLMART horror experience.
HELLMART Endings Guide
The core gameplay loop of HELLMART revolves around managing a supernatural supermarket, requiring players to balance customer service, inventory management, and an ever-present threat from otherworldly entities. The game’s design emphasizes player observation and decision-making, where seemingly minor actions can have significant repercussions on the overarching narrative and ending. Understanding the underlying mechanics, particularly the karma system and the various threats, is paramount to achieving the desired outcome.
Keys to the Kingdom – Obtaining the Optimal Ending
The most desirable conclusion in HELLMART is achieved by embodying the model employee, a paragon of supermarket professionalism and vigilance. This involves meticulous attention to detail in maintaining store cleanliness, fostering positive interactions with customers, consistently meeting all assigned quotas, and exercising scrupulous honesty in financial transactions. Crucially, players must remain vigilant against nocturnal intruders and effectively defend the establishment from monstrous incursions, all while diligently identifying and neutralizing any anomalies that manifest. While the game implies that every action carries consequences, the direct impact on the karma system is not always explicitly clear, requiring players to deduce the most beneficial behaviors.
To achieve this "Keys to the Kingdom" ending, players are strongly advised to adhere to the directives issued by their employer, typically communicated via the in-game payphone. Prioritizing customer satisfaction is key, which translates to ensuring shelves are adequately stocked and maintaining accuracy at the checkout counter to prevent errors in dispensing change. While not explicitly stated, actions such as theft or rudeness towards customers are understood to negatively impact karma. Conversely, overpaying customers can inadvertently increase the daily quota, adding an extra layer of pressure. The game also presents opportunities to deny entry to suspicious individuals or those making dubious requests, such as Father Grayson, who frequently solicits donations. This discernment is a vital component of maintaining a positive standing.
The night shift presents a heightened level of peril and requires a keen eye for detail. Imposters are designed to disrupt gameplay through glitches and malfunctions in the surveillance cameras monitoring the entrance. Their speech patterns often contain noticeable typos, and their dialogue can be unnervingly unnatural. Players must differentiate these threats from genuine customers. Conversely, it is imperative to permit entry to recognized individuals from previous shifts and to avoid making prejudiced judgments based solely on past customer behavior. Notable examples include Karen, who might demand additional change, or the shoplifter, who can be apprehended in the act. Even characters with unsettling appearances, such as Tiny Bob, should not be automatically perceived as malevolent.
The culmination of this high-karma playthrough occurs on the seventh day. As the player prepares to leave their sleeping quarters after the shift, a mysterious Stranger will appear outside. The critical dialogue choice to secure this ending is to firmly declare, "I have to protect this place from you!" This decisive stance signals a commitment to safeguarding the supermarket. The ensuing narrative resolution sees HELLMART transform into a conventional retail establishment, rebranded as "HelloMart." The player is then rewarded with ownership of the store, symbolically receiving the keys as the rightful proprietor, signifying a successful transition from a supernatural nightmare to a stable business.
Groundhog Day – Entering a New Cycle
The "Groundhog Day" ending represents a neutral, or middle-of-the-road, outcome within HELLMART. This is likely the first ending players will encounter if they do not consistently achieve perfect performance. The primary distinction between this and the optimal ending lies in the accumulation of minor mistakes and missteps in customer interactions and dialogue choices.
This ending can be triggered by several factors, including accidentally increasing the daily quota through incorrect change transactions, failing to apprehend a shoplifter, leaving legitimate customers unattended outside during the night, or expressing uncertainty about the value of adhering to rules when conversing with the Stranger. It is also possible to agree to assist the Stranger on the seventh day, provided that the player has not engaged in a pattern of unhelpful behavior towards customers or allowed monsters to infiltrate the store at night. However, it is crucial to avoid accumulating too many significant errors, as the player is under constant observation, and excessive mistakes could lead to the more dire "Judgment Night" ending.
The narrative conclusion for "Groundhog Day" involves the HELLMART premises being engulfed in flames. The player experiences a fleeting sense of escape from the supernatural ordeal, only for the cycle to begin anew. As a bus rounds a corner, revealing another identical HELLMART store, the player realizes their ordeal is far from over. Their first shift awaits once more, emphasizing the cyclical and inescapable nature of their predicament. This ending serves as a stark reminder of the pervasive influence of the supermarket’s curse.
Judgment Night – Becoming a Monster
The "Judgment Night" ending is the game’s most negative outcome, achieved by systematically failing in the role of a supermarket employee and actively embracing the chaos. An accessible pathway to this ending involves deliberately performing poorly in all aspects of the game. This includes being discourteous to customers, allowing monsters to breach the store’s defenses, and actively evading these creatures during night shifts, thereby contributing to a negative karma accumulation.
Furthermore, deliberately turning away customers who have successfully passed the initial dialogue and camera checks will also push the player towards this conclusion. Ignoring customer requests, such as stocking specific items or providing requested cigarettes, is another effective strategy. While dialogue choices play a role, the overarching objective for this ending is to be designated the "Worst Employee of the Week, Every Week."
On the seventh day, players can accelerate their path to this ending by agreeing to aid the "Stranger in black." Alternatively, when the Stranger appears at the checkout, a defiant dialogue option like, "I don’t give a shit about those rules!" can be selected. It is important to note that specific dialogue choices with the Stranger are not the sole determinant of this ending. The critical factor is the player’s cumulative performance throughout the game. The goal is to be as detrimental as possible without succumbing to the threats and getting killed prematurely.
The narrative resolution for "Judgment Night" is grim and apocalyptic. The HELLMART store is depicted as a charnel house, with the bodies of former customers impaled on spikes, serving as a macabre testament to the player’s failures. The player is revealed to have fallen prey to the Stranger’s insidious deception, sharing a fate similar to countless others who have been trapped by the supermarket’s curse. The ultimate consequence is the player’s transformation into a monster. In this new form, they will relentlessly assault the supermarket, preying on future employees and perpetuating the cycle of terror. This ending underscores the corrupting influence of the malevolent forces at play within HELLMART.
The development of HELLMART by GAZE IN GAMES introduces a unique blend of simulation and horror, drawing parallels to games that explore the mundane with an unsettling twist. The game’s release has garnered attention for its intricate mechanics and the challenging pursuit of its multiple endings. The player’s journey through HELLMART is not merely a test of skill but a moral and ethical exploration, where every decision, however small, contributes to the unfolding narrative and the ultimate fate of the protagonist. The game’s success in creating a palpable sense of dread and consequence within a seemingly ordinary setting speaks to its innovative approach to the horror genre.